Catholic Dissent

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After reading what was being said about excommunicating oneself and possibly being excluded from the sacraments (except confession), I asked myself: So is being a heretic a mortal sin?
(And, I am asking myself now, is there a difference between BEING a heretic and just HAVING a heretic thought?)

If the answer to the mortal sin part is yes - my next question would be: How can believing (or not believing) something be a mortal sin? because it is not something you choose to do, really. Ok, if you choose to believe something because it is more convenient for you, that would be purposeful. But if you truly have difficulties with a church teaching, no matter how you try to believe it, could that be a mortal sin?

Kathrin
 
@rwoehmke:

That’s a good point, however I don’t think you can interpret the Catechism in different ways without being an idiot.
 
How can believing (or not believing) something be a mortal sin?
We are taught that the Church is the pillar and ground of truth. The Magisterium of the Church teaches the truths that God requires us to believe and embrace.

To dissent against the teachings of the Church is to reject what the Church requires us to do.

This rejection of the Faith is a very serious matter – and that’s why it is a mortal sin.
 
After reading what was being said about excommunicating oneself and possibly being excluded from the sacraments (except confession), I asked myself: So is being a heretic a mortal sin?
(And, I am asking myself now, is there a difference between BEING a heretic and just HAVING a heretic thought?)

If the answer to the mortal sin part is yes - my next question would be: How can believing (or not believing) something be a mortal sin? because it is not something you choose to do, really. Ok, if you choose to believe something because it is more convenient for you, that would be purposeful. But if you truly have difficulties with a church teaching, no matter how you try to believe it, could that be a mortal sin?

Kathrin
Heresy is making a conscious choice to believe something contrary to what one knows to be Catholic dogma. Struggling with this teaching or that is normal and part of the process of coming to faith- and to admit this is just to be honest -but we’re compelled to give the Church the benefit of the doubt on all matters until we understand for ourselves due to the fact that Catholics, by definition, believe that the Churchs’ authority comes from God.
 
Heresy is making a conscious choice to believe something contrary to what one knows to be Catholic dogma. Struggling with this teaching or that is normal and part of the process of coming to faith- and to admit this is just to be honest -but we’re compelled to give the Church the benefit of the doubt on all matters until we understand for ourselves due to the fact that Catholics, by definition, believe that the Churchs’ authority comes from God.
Good point, you can’t accidentally be a heretic.
 
Ah, Isaacsdad, you are a man after my own heart.
Sure because this is a convenient thing to throw around…but you have to remember that those who were the “religious establishment” prior to Christ’s coming…did NOT have the Holy Spirit guiding them…so naturally…as fallible human beings, they made MANY mistakes and didn’t fully understand God’s laws.

However, Christ came to set the record straight…He is the way, the Truth and the Light…and is perfect in ALL things, including obeying His Father!

As such, the laws He gave us, through Scripture, are the absolute Truth…not something we can pick apart and decide…“oh yea, here he meant to say this instead of that…”

As Christ said exactly what He meant…He didn’t make mistakes…in addition, He promised that the Holy Spirit would forever guide the Church in matters of Doctrine…or are you suggesting that He didn’t?
 
Now, from how I’ve seen it, there are a lot of people on here who say that the only way to be a true Catholic is to follow everything that the true Church teaches. However, I’ve noticed a lot of disagreeing (and not just between myself and others). Now, let me ask: does this mean that only a select few on these boards are true Catholics? I mean, I just don’t get how there can be disagreements that much if we should all follow the same doctrine.
The Catholic Church was established by Jesus Christ. Jesus said said “whoever hears you hears Me and whoever rejects you, rejects Me!”
 
The Catholic Church was established by Jesus Christ. Jesus said said “whoever hears you hears Me and whoever rejects you, rejects Me!”
Exactly. In fact that is the reason for the Papacy according to St. Ireaneaus to serve as a unity for the Church.
 
Sure because this is a convenient thing to throw around…but you have to remember that those who were the “religious establishment” prior to Christ’s coming…did NOT have the Holy Spirit guiding them…so naturally…as fallible human beings, they made MANY mistakes and didn’t fully understand God’s laws.

However, Christ came to set the record straight…He is the way, the Truth and the Light…and is perfect in ALL things, including obeying His Father!

As such, the laws He gave us, through Scripture, are the absolute Truth…not something we can pick apart and decide…“oh yea, here he meant to say this instead of that…”

As Christ said exactly what He meant…He didn’t make mistakes…in addition, He promised that the Holy Spirit would forever guide the Church in matters of Doctrine…or are you suggesting that He didn’t?
The Jews were God’s chosen people before Jesus came, man. He completed the law, but He was Jewish too. He just called the people out on bad stuff they were pulling or weren’t doing right or whatever. You know, like being too rigid or something.
 
The Jews were God’s chosen people before Jesus came, man. He completed the law, but He was Jewish too. He just called the people out on bad stuff they were pulling or weren’t doing right or whatever. You know, like being too rigid or something.
Umm…no He came to be the NEW covenant. The Blessed Mother was the ark of the New Covenant who carried Jesus Christ…Jesus Christ established Himself as the Person of the New Covenant.

Pope Pius XII in Munificentissimus Deus, speaking of the Fathers, wrote:

… *some have employed the words of the Psalmist: “Arise, O Lord, and go into Thy resting place, Thou and the ark of Thy might” and have looked upon the Ark of the Covenant, built of incorruptible wood and places in the Lord’s temple, as a type of the most pure body of the Virgin Mary, preserved and exempted from all corruption of the tomb and raised up to such glory in heaven.

Just as the New Covenant surpasses the Old, so the new Ark of the Covenant (Our Lady) is superior to the old. The old Ark contained the word of God inscribed on stone tablets, but the new Ark contained the Incarnate Word of God. The old Ark held the Law that could not justify, but the new Ark held Jesus Christ Who Himself is the eternal New Covenant with God; He Who justifies and saves*
 
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